Dhaka, April 28 -- The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is on an earnest drive to expand the tax net in the coming days, aiming to improve the tax-GDP ratio, a key figure as it relates to a variety of forthcoming economic matters for the country.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked to increase the tax-GDP ratio to 7.9 percent by next June - which currently languishes at 7.4 percent. Raising the ratio is related with unlocking the 3rd and 4th tranches of the $4.7 billion loan program Bangladesh entered into with the IMF in 1991.

According to the NBR, some 1.15 crore individuals have taken electronic Taxpayers Identification Number (ETIN), but only 45 lakh have submitted their income tax return, and one third claimed to have ze...